Joseph Neil “Joey” Moss
Born in 1963 and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Joseph Neil "Joey" Moss (September 25, 1963–October 26, 2020) was child number twelve of thirteen to Lloyd and Sophie Moss. Joey’s older siblings formed the musical band called the “Alaska Highway Birthquakes,” which traveled from Alberta and Saskatchewan to small venues in Yellowknife and Whitehorse in 1967. The family band's ukulele player at age five, Joey was always included in the show and routinely received the biggest applause. Some might call this the beginning of Joey's rise to stardom.
Born with Down Syndrome, Moss caught the eye of Oilers centre Wayne Gretzky in 1985, when Gretzky was dating Moss’ sister, Vikki. Impressed with the dedication Moss brought to his job at an Edmonton bottle depot, Gretzky suggested to team general manager Glen Sather that the young man be given a tryout. Shortly thereafter, Joey became the locker room attendant for the Edmonton Oilers (National Hockey League). As the summer of 1986 came around, Gretzky wanted to keep Joey active so he called up the equipment manager of the Edmonton Elks (Canadian Football League), Dwayne Mandrusiak, and asked him if Joey could work with them during training camp. It was then that Joey became a mainstay in both clubs.
Joey always had a fun and warm personality growing up. He loved to play sports and loved to dance. Some of Joey’s favourite sitcoms were Happy Days, Three’s Company and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He also owned a complete set of James Bond movies on VHS. After Wayne Gretzky got Joey a job in the Oilers locker room as a Dressing Room Attendant, Joey began to avidly record NHL stats while watching hockey games—he had an eye for detail. Harkening back to his days playing with the family band, Joey quickly became known for his passionate singing at Oilers home games, when he would belt out both the Canadian and American National Anthems. In 2015, the Edmonton Elks gave Joey the opportunity to promote Down Syndrome awareness by having him sing the Canadian Anthem in front of 40,000 plus fans at the Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium.
Moss’s career with the Oilers long outlasted Gretzky’s, and his dedication to and passion for hockey have made him a nationwide celebrity and a major symbol of continuity within the franchise. His main duties with the team include cleaning, handling towels and water, and running errands for former equipment manager Lyle “Sparky” Kulchisky. In 2006, during a surprising Oiler playoff run, Joey delayed elective surgery for a hernia in order to see the Stanley Cup playoffs through to the finish.
In 2003, Moss received the NHL Alumni Association’s “Seventh Man Award,” in recognition of outstanding behind-the-scenes service to the league. The Joey Moss Cup, a trophy contended for by Oilers players in an annual split-squad game near the end of training camp, is named after him. Moss’s dedication to the Edmonton Elks and the Oilers was recognized when a mural was unveiled on October 20, 2008 on 99th Street in Edmonton. He was recognized again on November 14, 2012 with the Diamond Jubilee Medal. On May 29, 2015, Moss was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
Joey passed away in October, 2020 at age 57. He was and will always be a hero to everyone who knew him, and will live on as a symbol of inclusion. Joey taught the world that a lack of capacity should not be assumed based on a person's disabilities. Rather, the opposite is true—with the right support and opportunities to shine, our disabled community members can enrich our lives immeasurably.
Born with Down Syndrome, Moss caught the eye of Oilers centre Wayne Gretzky in 1985, when Gretzky was dating Moss’ sister, Vikki. Impressed with the dedication Moss brought to his job at an Edmonton bottle depot, Gretzky suggested to team general manager Glen Sather that the young man be given a tryout. Shortly thereafter, Joey became the locker room attendant for the Edmonton Oilers (National Hockey League). As the summer of 1986 came around, Gretzky wanted to keep Joey active so he called up the equipment manager of the Edmonton Elks (Canadian Football League), Dwayne Mandrusiak, and asked him if Joey could work with them during training camp. It was then that Joey became a mainstay in both clubs.
Joey always had a fun and warm personality growing up. He loved to play sports and loved to dance. Some of Joey’s favourite sitcoms were Happy Days, Three’s Company and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He also owned a complete set of James Bond movies on VHS. After Wayne Gretzky got Joey a job in the Oilers locker room as a Dressing Room Attendant, Joey began to avidly record NHL stats while watching hockey games—he had an eye for detail. Harkening back to his days playing with the family band, Joey quickly became known for his passionate singing at Oilers home games, when he would belt out both the Canadian and American National Anthems. In 2015, the Edmonton Elks gave Joey the opportunity to promote Down Syndrome awareness by having him sing the Canadian Anthem in front of 40,000 plus fans at the Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium.
Moss’s career with the Oilers long outlasted Gretzky’s, and his dedication to and passion for hockey have made him a nationwide celebrity and a major symbol of continuity within the franchise. His main duties with the team include cleaning, handling towels and water, and running errands for former equipment manager Lyle “Sparky” Kulchisky. In 2006, during a surprising Oiler playoff run, Joey delayed elective surgery for a hernia in order to see the Stanley Cup playoffs through to the finish.
In 2003, Moss received the NHL Alumni Association’s “Seventh Man Award,” in recognition of outstanding behind-the-scenes service to the league. The Joey Moss Cup, a trophy contended for by Oilers players in an annual split-squad game near the end of training camp, is named after him. Moss’s dedication to the Edmonton Elks and the Oilers was recognized when a mural was unveiled on October 20, 2008 on 99th Street in Edmonton. He was recognized again on November 14, 2012 with the Diamond Jubilee Medal. On May 29, 2015, Moss was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
Joey passed away in October, 2020 at age 57. He was and will always be a hero to everyone who knew him, and will live on as a symbol of inclusion. Joey taught the world that a lack of capacity should not be assumed based on a person's disabilities. Rather, the opposite is true—with the right support and opportunities to shine, our disabled community members can enrich our lives immeasurably.
Joey Moss (fifth from the left, first row) with the Moss Family Band.